RATING: R (Graphic Sex, Nudity, Gore, Violence, Language)
OPENS: Currently playing the art-house circuit and expected on DVD for Halloween 2009.
GENRE: Horror, Gay, Indie

CHILD FRIENDLY: NO
PARENTAL WARNING: This is a film for adults. It has graphic gore, violence, same-sex sexual situations, full frontal nudity . This is ot a film you'd want to watch with any of your family members in the room - let alone children.

This film is not for the faint of heart - or the easily offended. It is full of gore, violence, seedy graphic sex (both heterosexual and homosexual) and language that would make a sailor blush.

But if that kind of stuff doesn't bother you, Scab offers an original take on the vampire mythos.

Throughout the literary and filmed history of movies, the line between vampirism and sexuality has been blurred - at best. In Scab, the debut film by writer-director Thomas Jason Davis, who explains his own film's matter-of-fact take on sexuality:

In my twisted little geek-boy fantasy, the lusted-for slut-boy Ajay finally admits that he loves the geek. It's like Sixteen Candles with cockrings. Say Anything with fangs and lube and a touch more self-loathing.

- Thomas Jason Davis, Director

The Plot

The movie starts with a rather graphic and violent gay one-night stand where Ajay learns "not" doesn't always mean know at the hangs of a vampire.

We have our initial assessment confirmed in the following scene through his two friends, Teague and Floor, talk - unknowing what happened to Ajay - discussing how their good friend Ajay is a slut who is living an empty life. We also learn that nerdy Teague has an unrequited crush on Ajay and the hunky and straight Floor is a heterosexual version of Ajay who is not above flirting with anyone - men or women - to get advantage of a situation.

Needless to say, the next time we see Ajay, he's woken up undead and is dealing with his new hunger for neck tartar and loses touch with Teague and Floor, who come over to check in on their friend.

This leads to a road trip to Las Vegas for the three, where their journey brings about some much-needed self discovery - with a body count. This is a vampire movie, after all.

The film crates yet another mythos of what vampirism is and how it spreads. In doing so, it eliminated the already blurred line between vampires and sex.

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WARNING: Course language

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Opens: December 12, 2008
Rating: PG-13 (Violence)
Genre: Science Fiction

What do you get when you re-make a classic landmark of science fiction film history like the 1951 film The Day the Earth Stood Still?

Better yet, throw in box-office favorite Keanu Reeves as the alien with the warning to humanity and replace the cold war message with one dealing with today's obsession about environmental catastrophe.

Sound like a good idea?

Well, according to most of the mainstream critics, the result is an unqualified mess that may not appeal to anyone with a mental age over 12. And critics make a special note to point out to fans of the original film to skip this version altogether.

Of the few good comments on this update, critics point to a winning performance by Kathy Bates in a supporting role as a tough-as-nails politician. Also, the use of special effects and computer-generated imagery also got high marks.

But the lowest marks went to the story and script. More than one critic called the dialogue unintentionally laughable.

So, for those in fandom, this version it either destined for cult comedy status - or is headed to the dustbin alongside atrocities such as the remake of Planet of the Apes and the film version of Battlefield Earth.

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Opens: September 19, 2008
Rating: PG-13 (Strong language, sexual humor, Drug references)
Genre: Fantasy, Comedy

"He sees dead people ... and they annoy him," or so goes the tag line to the new light fantasy romantic comedy, Ghost Town, starring British comedic sensation Ricky Gervais and American actors Greg Kinnear and Tea Leoni.

By and large the critics either like or love this film - which treads on all-too-familiar terrain of romantic fantasy comedies about the living communicating with the dead.

There is near unanimous praise for Gervais - in his ability to breathe a new life and energy into a concept as familiar in Hollywood as the action movie chase scene.

Also praised are the comedic skills for Leoni, once called the next Lucille Ball, with the ability to elicit a laugh or a grimace in the audience with a tilt of the head - or less.

IN the era of gross-out comedies where subtlety describes the differences in the color of various bodily functions, critics were quick to praise Ghost Town for always choosing the more witty and intelligent option rather than the easy laugh of a gross out shot below the belt.

Of the negative concepts, critics were no impressed with the plot of the film - which is so familiar as to have become a cliche. But, most of them say Gervais' original take on a familiar theme saved the movies from mediocrity and raised the film to near greatness.

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OPENS: August 29, 2008
Rating: PG-13 (Intense violence, Language)
Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopia
Starring: Vin Diesel, Gerard Depardieu

"Veteran-turned-mercenary Thoorop takes the high-risk job of escorting a woman from Russia to America. Little does he know that she is host to an organism that a cult wants to harvest in order to produce a genetically modified Messiah," or so say the studio teasers.

"Ugh," or so say the critics - well those who saw it. The studio refused to have advance screenings for film critics - usually a sign a film is a dud.

The movie's director, Mathieu Kassovitz agrees. as reported by the Reelz Channel:

 "I'm very unhappy with the film," Kassovitz ranted to AMC. "I never had a chance to do one scene the way it was written or the way I wanted it to be. The script wasn't respected. Bad producers, bad partners, it was a terrible experience."

Kassovitz, who described parts of the movie as "like a bad episode of 24," places the blame squarely on the shoulder of studio backer 20th Century Fox. Fox, ironically, also happens to produce TV's 24.

Look on the bright side, sci-fi fans: Babylon A.D. may not be the second coming of Blade Runner, but it should provide for the best DVD director's commentary ever.

 Mainstream film critics agree.

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OPENS: August 22, 2008
RATING: R (Bloody deaths, Extreme profanity, Violence against women)
GENRE: Grindhouse, Car racing, Action, Dystopia, Science Fiction

Among the negative comments from critics on the excessive violence and the way the film treats women - as sexy objects, cold-hearted bitches or other B-movie sexploitation clichés.

Other critics say, "hold on a minute ... the film is a spoof of those types of films." Here, the women are in on the joke and the dark commentary the film has on American society and the way women are still treated by men in general.

Furthermore, the action scenes are praised as outstanding. Death Race knows how to "blow things up real good," so to speak.

 

 

 

 

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OPENS: August 15, 2008
RATED: R (Bloody violence, Gore, Blood, Burn wounds)
GENRE: Demons, Horror, Thriller, Asian Horror Remake

Based on the 2003 Korean horror flick, Into the Mirror, the American version, named Mirrors and starring Keifer Sutherland is a pill-popping, booze-swilling supernatural gore fest of the highest caliber. Fans of supernatural gore and slasher films will love this film, according to critics. Others? Not so much.

The 20th Century Fox film studio, in a sure-tell sign that it does not have faith in this movie, did not pre-screen it for critics. This usually means the studio thinks the film is a stinker and doesn't want critical word-of-mouth to keep folks away from the theatres.

Among the biggest complaints by critics is that Mirrors relies more on shockingly bloody footage rather than suspenseful writing to create fear in the audience. There are scenes of bloody violence, bloody self mutilation and bloody death.

On the positive side. Other critics say this is exactly the type of film that fans of the Hellraiser and early Freddie Kruger movies have been craving - for a bloody good time.

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OPENS: AUgust 15, 2008
RATING: PG (Violence, Smoking, Adult Situations)
GENRE: Space Opera, Animation

A new Star Wars cartoon will debut on the Cartoon Network this fall.

Somebody at Lucasfilm got the bright idea to make a 90-minute introduction movie to kick the series off. That's good.

Somebody (or somebodies) else at Warner Brothers in paring up with Lucasfilm got the bright idea of taking that made-for-TV film and dumping it out in theatres this weekend. That's not-so-good.

The result? A hybrid computer animated film that is not up to par with what a movie-going audience expects when plopping over $8 to $10 a pop to see a film these days.

Among those panning the film, most noted a boring storyline and painful dialogue that insults fans of the Star Wars saga. Others called it a blatant money grab for George Lucas that insults the legacy of the franchise. Others said this film marks the death of Star Wars as a popular culture touchstone.

But others were not do fast to dismiss this film. As a kid's film its fast pace and not-too-complicated story is perfect mindless last weekend before back-to-school fun for the pre-teen set.

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OPENS: August 1, 2008
RATING: PG-13 (Violence)
GENRES: Horror Comedy, Action-Adventure, Fantasy

The heroes of The Mummy franchise returns -- well not all of them, Rachel Weiss decided to forego this film, replaced by Maria Bello.

Film reviews are mixed. Many film critics hated The Mummy 3, citing that the film is dumb, violent and doesn't take tell the audience a new story..

Other critics loved the film for those same reasons. Film Critic Roger Ebert says audiences comprised of fans fo this series will not be disappointed.

Sometimes people want mindless escapist adventure wit great special effects. Here, the film delivers.

Other critics say audiences should follow the example of the lead actress of the first two Mummy films - and skip this one as unneeded and unwatchable.

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OPENS: August 1, 2008 (Limited Release)
RATING: R (Gore, Nudity, Sexual Content)
GENRE: Horror; Supernatural Dark Fantasy; Gore

In the making of Midnight Meat Train, writer Clive Barker and director Ryuhei Kitamura set out to make the a film better than Candyman and scarier than Hellraiser.

According to horror critics, both goals were met.

The story is from Clive Barker's seminal Books of Blood collection. Barker admits that the off-kilter title came to him after he ate a batch of marijuana brownies a couple decades ago.

Originally set to debut during the early summer blockbuster season, instead LionsGate decided on a limited release for the film before shipping it out on DVDs.

Of the positive reviews, director Kitamura's English language debut is getting kudos for his stylish scenes and camerawork and his ability to maintain the sense of creepy dread that filled the original short story.

Also getting good reviews are actors Bradley Cooper, Vinnie Jones and Brooke Shields.

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